Kindle News

Amazon has finally added support for several Indian languages to its Kindle e-reader. For the first time, books written in languages including Hindi, Tamil and Marathi are available to purchase from the Kindle store. "Thousands" are available at launch.

Amazon has announced a new version of its base model Kindle e-reader. The budget device has been updated with a lighter design and improved performance. The changes are designed to attract more people to Kindle as e-readers stagnate.

Amazon has warned owners of older models of its Kindle e-reader that they need to install an important software update today or face the device becoming unusable online from later this week. From March 22, Kindle services will be inaccessible.

Dozens of Amazon engineers responsible for its failed attempt to enter the smartphone market with the Fire Phone are being told they are no longer required, according to a report today. The company is reorganising its general hardware efforts.

Las Vegas -
A vending machine for electronics does make sense, and this isn’t the first. It’s getting used to the idea that’s a little difficult. Amazon unveiled a new “Kindle dispenser” in Las Vegas this week.

Todd, 23, is an avid comic book fan. He use to spend a lot of time at the comic book store buying all the latest issues of his favorite comics. Three years ago Todd bought an iPad. Now he downloads and reads a lot of his comic books as e-books.

"Olivia’s Christmas trip to Venice, Italy, should be a holiday dream come true. But when the unattended luggage becomes the focus of a handsome Italian policeman’s bomb investigation, she worries she won’t even make it out of the airport."

The US mobile market is dominated by Apple and Samsung. Earlier this year, Google decided to take a piece of the pie with the Nexus line. First with the Nexus 7 tab and now the Nexus 4 and 10 editions. It appears Amazon may be wanting in as well.

With his novel The Invention of the Big Bang, author Fred Schäfer takes the reader on a wonderfully philosophical journey in which life's most pressing questions are considered ... and left pleasantly unresolved.

Bentonville -
Walmart has decided that it will no longer sell Kindle devices beyond present commitments to do so. Walmart claims the move is simply part of its marketing strategy but many think that the decision is related to concerns about competition from Amazon.

New York -
In a landmark decision on Thursday, US district judge Denise Cote upheld the $96 million Department of Justice penalty imposed on publishers Simon & Schuster, Hachette and HarperCollins for conspiring to fix the price of ebooks.

Seattle -
Is Amazon in the process of opening a retail store in Seattle? Sources tell one media outlet that they are planning to do so in order to test the profitability of such a venture. It would begin within the next few months.

Sydney -
Smashwords is a wide-distribution publisher. Their approach is somewhat like existing publishers like Lulu, but they’ve got a much bigger range. I was put on to Smashwords by a friend in the States, and I have to say that so far they’re a cut above.